Turkey's second OHAL Executive Order, published in the country's official gazette on Wednesday, introduces sweeping changes to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). The new measure removes Gendarmerie and Coast Guard forces from the army hierarchy, instead tying these directly to the Ministry of the Interior. Along with the Air Force, Turkey's Gendarmerie forces featured prominently in the July 15 coup attempt, and Wednesday's restructuring aims to extend government authority over a branch of the military seen as being particularly problematic.
In addition to these changes, the order fires 149 TSK generals currently arrested for ties to the failed coup attempt. The move signifies the removal of over one third of TSK's command cadres, especially significant as it came a day before of Turkey's annual Supreme Military Council (YAS) meeting, where all military promotions and changes to army leadership are decided on. Turkish news sources stated earlier this week that half of all putschist generals were promoted in the YAS meetings since 2012.
In addition to the firings and changes to TSK structure, more than 130 media outlets are closed in what is perceived as a deepening crackdown among many of Ankara's NATO allies and the European Union.
The Executive Order shuts down three news agencies, 16 television channels, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers. Earlier on Wednesday, Turkey ordered 47 journalists detained.
While government sources argue these media associations and journalists have ties to Gulenist networks, some of the measures have drawn criticism in Turkey. Nazli Ilicak, one of the journalists detained on Wednesday, was long applauded by conservatives for her efforts to help legalize the wearing of the Muslim headscarf in public venues. She once enjoyed close ties with Presidents Erdogan and Gul, helping AKP's leaders build ties with Turkey's secularist elite when they first came to power in the early 2000s, columnist Cengiz Candar argued in an article on Thursday. Hilmi Yavuz, another figure included in the arrest warrant, was a former culture columnist for the pro-Gulen daily Zaman and is one of Turkey's most well-respected poets. Many in Turkey's literary world have protested the decision to detain him while Yavuz, who turned 80 in April, said: “I've packed my bags and my medicine, and am waiting.”
The United States said on Wednesday it understood Turkey's need to hold putschists accountable but said the detention of more journalists was part of a “worrisome trend”.
Negotiations between the two countries continue with regards to the potential extradition of Pennsylvania resident Fethullah Gulen, the cleric considered by the Turkish government to be the mastermind behind the failed coup. In a speech earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said his government would require Turkey to offer hard evidence against Gulen; but also offered a collaboration between U.S. and Turkish authorities for work on the extradition request. A number of Turkish government ministers prepare to fly to Washington D.C. next week while Gulen denies any involvement in the coup attempt.
In total, Turkish authorities have already suspended, dismissed or placed under investigation more than 60.000 soldiers, police, teachers, judges and others suspected of links to the Gulen movement.
Some human rights groups have drawn attention to “credible reports” of extensive human rights violations by Turkish authorities, including torture and rape of soldiers in custody, and called upon the European Union to send international observers. Turkey has denied the allegations.